Mail-box



(No Model.)

P.H. BEBNCK. MAIL BOX.

10.507,474. Patented ont. 24. 1893.A

` UNiTnD 4STATES PATENT parent..

PETER H. BEENCK, OF'JENNINGS, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,474, dated October 24, 1893.

Application filed April 29, 1893. Serial No. 472,360. (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that L'PETER H. BEENCK, of Jennings, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speci- Iication.

Y My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of mail boxes, forming a box that permits of the rapid collection of mail matter, the arrangements of the entire box being such that a most substantial and secure article is produced; and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a vertical section, taken on line I-I, Fig. III, illustrating the doors open for the abstraction of mail. Fig. II is a front elevation of the box, with its parts in closed position, and showing my mail collecting pouch connected to the box. Fig. III is a vertical section, taken on line III-III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged, detail view of the box locking device, the casing being shown in vertical section. Fig. Vis a horizontal section on the line V-V, Fig. IV.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the front, 2 the rear, and 3 and 4 the sides of the box, and 5 the top, which is ot' the usual hood form. The box is open at its bottom, and is closed by swinging doors 6 hinged to the sides 3 and 4.

7 and 8 are respectively front and rear lining plates secured to and extending from side to side of the box. J ournaled in the front and rear of the box, and in their corresponding lining plates 7 and 8 are shafts 9 and 10, each of which carries a disk l1, to which is pivotally connected a link 12, to which link 12 is in turn pivoted a link 13; the two links being pivoted at their opposite ends, one to each of the doors 6. It will be understood that the disks and the devices connected to them are substantially the same at both the front and the rear ot' the box, and for this reason I will describe but one of said disks with its accompanying parts.

Pivoted at 14 to the disk 1l is a link l5, whose opposite end is pivoted to a swinging door 16, hinged near the upper end to the box, the said door 16 being provided for the purpose of allowing the collector of mails to see into the interior of the box, or to introduce his arm for the purpose of dislodging any matter that might become lodged.

Secured to the shaft 9 is a crank 17, by which the said shaft and the shaft 10, which carry, as stated, the disks 11, are turned to open or close the doors 6 and 16, accomplished through the moving of the pivotal points of the links l2 and 15 by the turning of the disk, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. III, where the box is shown open by full lines, and closed by dotted lines.

On the front of the box is a projecting casing 18 for the reception of a lock for locking the parts when the bbx is closed.

17'a is a hook formedon the crank 17, which enters the casing 18throughan openingl9,and

engages with a pivoted catch 20, whose free end is supported by a spring 21, which catch is adapted to be'drawn down out of connection with the hook 17a, by a key 2Ob inserted through the opening 22, and pushed up until the lug near the upper end of the key engages with the lock over the projection 20, formed on the pivoted catch 20, when by pulling down on the outer end of the key the spring 21 is compressed, which allows the pivoted catch to move down and out of engagement with the hook 17, thus leaving the crank I7 on the shaft 9 free to be operated.

23 is a gravity swinging door, pivoted in the opposite side of the box from the door 16, provided for the introduction of mail matter into the box.

24 is a mail pouch adapted for the collection of mail from my improved box, which pouch is preferably connected to the box through means ot' projections 25 on the sides of the boxv over which projections the wires 26 connected by a loop spring 27 are adapted to pass by springing the wires apart, after which the spring 27 draws them together, so that the wires fit snugly around the box.

The operation-of the box is as follows:- The pouch 24 being fitted to the lower end of the box, by the introduction ofthe key through the opening 22 of the lock, the box is unfastened when the crank 17 may be turned down ICO until it strikes a lug 28 on the front of the box, at which time the disks 11 will have been turned to throw the links connected thereto, so that they open the doors 6 and 16, as shown in Figs. I and III, when the mail matter contained in the box Will fall through the bottom into the pouch 24, and the collector may look into or introduce his hand into the box through the doorway at the upper end to make certain that the contents of the box are all removed, after which, on turning the crank 17 the doors will be closed, and the box securely locked by the hook 17'a entering into engagement with its lock, and

the pouch 24 may be removed by the collector and closed, and readily carried by the wires 2G. A mail box constructed in accordance with 4my invention forms a very efficient device open bottom, hinged doors for closing said bottom, rotating disks mounted in said box, links connecting said disks and doors, and a crank for rotating said disks, and a locking device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a mail box having an open bottom, hinged doors 6 and 16, rotating disks, and link connections between said doors and disks, and means for locking said disks; substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

3. The combination of a mail box having an open bottom, doors 6 hinged at opposite sides of the box for closing said bottom, rotating disks mounted in said box, links 12 pivoted to said disks and to one ot' said doors, and links 13 pivoted to the links l2, and to the other door; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

PETER H. BEENCK.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, ALBERT M. EBERsoLE. 

